Yossarian - the very sight of the name made him shudder. There were so many esses in it. It just had to be subversive. It was like the word subversive itself. It was like seditious and insidious too, and like socialist, suspicious, fascist and Communist.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Names can trigger irrational associations with politics and suspicion in fearful times.
- In plain terms
- The name Yossarian sounded like subversive words to a paranoid person.
- What can you take from it?
- Fear makes people connect unrelated things suspiciously.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do names matter in war?
- When does fear distort language?
Another view
Not all suspicion is unfounded.
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